


Tumult

by klaviergavout



Category: Steam Powered Giraffe
Genre: Gen, i hope it came across ok aah., this is actually something ive wanted to write about for a long time
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-06-16
Updated: 2016-06-16
Packaged: 2018-07-15 12:15:49
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,689
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7221988
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/klaviergavout/pseuds/klaviergavout
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>“I-’m breakin-g, I’m br-ea-king, I-’m go-ing to fall apa-r-t." GG has never malfunctioned before. She attempts to calm herself, fails, and eventually relies on the bots of Steam Powered Giraffe to try get things back under control.</p>
<p>It comes as no surprise to anyone that they fail, too.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Tumult

The Spine smiled as he walked down one of the many hallways in the Walter Manor, a spring in his step. He was on his way to find Hatchworth, who was playing with GG the mechanical giraffe, to call him to practise. Rabbit had already rushed off to go and find him, and after she had raced around a sharp corner ahead of The Spine, he had lost track of her. Laughing, he now turned the same corner she had done a few minutes prior, and grinned.

“Rabbit, you’re too fast for me!” he called out down the corridor, his footsteps creaking the old and worn-down floorboards. Amongst the squeaks and whines of the floor beneath him he suddenly noticed another noise, a different one, cut through the peaceful near-silence like a knife. Someone was crying bitterly a few doors down, someone he knew, someone female, and suddenly his thoughts all cumulated into _Rabbit, Rabbit, oh my god_ and he rushed down that corridor as quickly as his legs could carry him.

When The Spine rushed into the room and noticed what had happened in his absence, he felt himself freeze in place, horrified at what he saw.

There was his sister, silent but solemn, kneeling on the floor next to a curled-up metal giraffe whom he knew at once to be GG. She was crying, sobbing even, and shaking violently, her vents now and then releasing sudden bursts of steam. A small pool of oil and water had gathered around her chassis, and was gradually growing in size as she lost more of both. She was talking to herself to try and calm herself down, but found herself helplessly stuttering, almost badly enough to make her choked words incomprehensible; The Spine quickly realised, with a pitiful look, that they were the words to her song.

He looked sharply away, unable to watch any more, leaning against the wall with one hand.

“Rabbit,” he breathed, finding it incredibly difficult to get a word out, “what’s going on?”

“GG, she was playing w-with Hatchworth and she start-t-ted to malfunction. She didn’t trip o-o-or fall, she just started, and this is her firs-t, and we need to get her help,   
The Spi-ne.” Rabbit was restraining GG on the floor with a determined strength, the oil-water mix staining her dress and gloves, her voice trembling but her composure unbroken. “You need to help me c-calm her down, The Spine, y-y-you’re the only one of us left who might be able to convince her.”

The Spine, confused and upset, tried to process what Rabbit had said and think of something he could do to help her.

“The Spine, I c-can handle this on my own if you’re n-ot up f-for this.”

He shook his head and finally made his way over to GG, whose eyes were lidded and weak, and he knelt down beside her.

“Hey, GG,” he began, taking a deep and shuddering breath, “how’s it going?” He reached out to touch her, but she shook her head violently until the sides of her head hit the floor with several painful clangs.

“Leav-e me a-lone!” she yelled, her vocoder struggling to finish each syllable, her fear apparent. “I-I-I don-’t want to talk to yo-u, The Spin-e, I can-’t—”

“GG, you’re doing so well,” said The Spine, moving his hand away from her body. “I know it hurts. But you’ve got to try and stay calm.”

“I-’m breakin-g, I’m br-ea-king, I-’m go-ing to fall apa-r-t,” she repeated to herself over and over mid-sob, “The S-p-ine, I’m go-ing to break, just go awa-a-y.”

"No, you're not." He shook his head in an attempt to comfort her. “Peter’s coming to fix you, GG. Him and the Workers. You’ll be OK, I promise, but you _have_ to listen to me and Rabbit.”

GG paused for breath, the tears relentlessly dripping from her eyes, moving slowly to sit up. Her tumultuous shaking had subsided at this point, but Rabbit had still been holding her down, and she was trembling with fear and pent-up frustration.

“You don’-t kno-w that.”

“I do,” he said, and now a faint smile appeared on his face, “and I know you can get through this. You just have to stay calm, and try stay still, and just breathe.”

The mechanical giraffe nodded gravely, closed her eyes and took in a breath through her vents, releasing it soon after with a puff of steam. Her whole body seemed to quake with response, but she kept a steady pace; in, out, in, her eyes now open, her eyes alive and active, her eyes slowly scanning the room.

“Good!” chimed in Rabbit, with a small and nervous laugh. “Well done. Y-Y-Y-You’re doing great.”

* * *

**_Hatchworth, h-how’s it goin-g over there? With that help? That you’re-you’re-you’re going to get?_ **

_I just found Peter a few seconds ago, we’re on our way now, I’m sorry, Rabbit._

**_It’s O-O-OK, Hatchy, you’re doing just f-fine._ **

* * *

 

Rabbit sighed as she quit transmission and focused back on GG. She was still attempting to control her breathing, but every so often her body would jolt, and she’d wince with fear and surprise.

It took just under a minute for GG to finally crack under the pressure and the pain with a larger, heavier jolt, and her eyes burst open as she slammed a hoof down.

“Thi-s isn-’t worki-ng!” she said with a yell, irritated and impatient, eyes pricking with hurt.

“’Course it is, GG,” said The Spine, trying his best to hold on to the remaining scraps of hope they had of helping her, “'course it is. You’re talking better, you’re not losing as much fluid, you can even sit up now.”

“I cou-ld have s-at up _w-ithou-t_ doing this stu-pid b-reathing thing.” She crossed her arms, overflowing with petty anger. “Wh-at do yo-u know any-y-ways, The Sp-ine, ab-out me? You d-on’t kn-ow anythin-g about m-e! In fact y-ou all ha-ate me, I don’t se-e why you’re try-ing to he-lp.”

“What?” Now it was Rabbit’s turn to speak, her eyes wide in surprise at that accusation, even though she knew exactly why it had been said. “No! GG, we don’t h-hate you. Why’d you th-think tha-t?”

GG wasn’t convinced. She, as weak as she currently was, was in her stride. Her malfunction, her helplessness, her pain, had only served to fuel a fire that had been growing for as long as she could remember.

“D-Don’-t lie t-o me, s-is, I _kn-ow_ you hate m-e.” It was said with such sudden bitterness that Rabbit and The Spine were completely taken aback, unable to counteract anything. “Did yo-u think I didn-’t notice whe-n you wen-t to space with-out me? Or wh-en you pre-tended that ther-e was sta-tic on my vid-eo call so you co-uld hang up?”

The Spine felt their grip on the situation slipping away, and suddenly, they were the ones feeling shameful. “GG, let’s not shout about this—”

“No, you li-st-en to _me_ now! Di-d you think I let it g-o when QWER-TY kept telling me I was a b-ad singer, or when none of y-ou came to m-y reci-tal? For y-our inf-ormati-on I’ve b-een to all o-f y-our-s! Do you t-hink I do-n’t pick up on y-our sarc-asm, how you o-nly say that kind of stuff t-o me? Did you think of a-ll people that I w-ould be the o-ne to _forget?”_

GG screamed the last word with all her remaining might, until her breath caught sharp in her throat, her eyes shutting tight from the pain of a heavy malfunction.

“Di-d you think. Did y-ou think that I wou-ld—”

But she found she could not speak. She began to cry helplessly once more, drenched in a pool of oil.

The last thing that GG heard before they put her into stasis was a whispered apology.

* * *

Gwendolindia Gertrudofferson awoke, lying on her back on a metal table. Peter Walter the Sixth’s face was up close near hers, and to her surprise she was feeling oddly clean and refreshed. When she opened her eyes properly, squinting slightly at the fluorescence from the lamps overhead, she heard a sharp intake of breath from right in front of her nose.

“Hi,” said Peter Walter the Sixth, beaming with relief although she could not see it. “How’s it going, GG, my best giraffe pal o’ mine?”

“I’m feeling better,” she said, a small smile on her face. “Thanks, Petes.”

“My pleasure, GG, my pleasure.” He whirled on his heel as he always did and clapped his hands together. “Now, I feel like some certain robots owe you an apology.”

And Hatchworth, The Spine, and Rabbit shuffled towards her, looking around awkwardly, their hands clasped. She raised a single expectant eyebrow at their entrance.

Hatchworth, self-proclaimed master of peaceful communication and perhaps the one who had disappointed GG the least, was the first to say anything after a pause of very naïve silence.

“We’re sorry, GG,” he said, reaching up to fiddle with his moustache. “I guess we took everything a bit too far.”

“Yeah,” said The Spine, his hat angled far too much over his eyes, accidentally-on-purpose.

“Yeah,” said Rabbit, smoothing down her dress, her eyes occupied elsewhere.

“We’re sorry we hurt you,” continued Hatchworth, “and we promise to be better siblings from now on. We’ll let you join in with things and, if we go to space again we’ll say goodbye first. And maybe one day, you’ll forgive us for all that bad stuff we’ve said and done.”

Something in his tone reeked of a rehearsed speech, but GG felt herself tearing up nonetheless, reaching out with tiny arms to hug him.

“Oh, Hatchy, I forgive you!”

A pause.

“And you two as well.”

Relief cascaded through the room as they laughed together, three robots and their little sister, now that everything was sorted out. They knew that it wouldn’t take long for GG to be back on her feet, and that thankfully, there would be no more (copper) elephants in the room.

Peter Walter the Sixth cast a knowing smile at his automatons before he slinked away again, through the door and out of sight.

 


End file.
